'That house isn't your home.' Ponyboy x Johnny

Chapter 26, Roller-Rink

Credit for Roller-Rink idea: l00s3y_g00sey

So sorry this chapter took so long to post 😭
I've been dying of some sickness or whatever for the last two days, but I'm still standing!
.. um I'm sorry I've been deprived from human contact for a while, my humours broken, and will possibly remain this way for this chapter.. anyway!

Did roller-rinks exist in the 60's? Maybe, I haven't googled it and will most likely not Google it! But for this chapters sake, yes, roller-rinks did indeed exist in the 60's!

—-

Johnnys never gone to a roller-rink before, so he didn't exactly know what to expect. He thought of some skatepark maybe, or some form of hall with that you skate around, what he wasn't expecting was loads of flashing lights, an army of small children skating around and people yelling left, right and in centre.

As soon as they got inside, Pony was smiling ear to ear. Mrs. Curtis seemed bored, yet pleased with how the place looked.

"Right, you two can go get the skates, I'm just going to head to the bathroom- oh! Johnny, so you know how to skate? Sorry dear, your father never said." She smiled.

"Um.. not exactly, I know how to ride a skateboard, so balance isn't an issue? I'm not completely sure.." Johnny said in a matter of three seconds. Mrs. Curtis simply laughed a little.

"That's fine Johnny, I'm sure Pony can help 'ya a little! Here's some money, they won't be too expensive!" She smiled, and with that she was off.

Pony, with the coins in his hand, began to walk and talk. Johnny smiled and followed along.

"Don't worry Johnny, skatings pretty easy once 'ya get the hang of it. And besides, even if you're bad at it, I bet 'ya Steve and Two-Bit are even worse." Pony smiled, which in return made Johnny laugh and relax a little.

All jokes aside, it was true. June twenty-eighth, 1960, Mr and Mrs. Curtis brought the gang to go skating, it was a nightmare. Soda got lost in the car-park and ended up in a DX near the highway, Two-Bit and Dallas stole the skates and got chased around the roller-rink and two employees slipped and skidded after them (you can't walk on the rink after all!), Steve got fed up and played the 'arcade games'.. there wasn't any arcade games, he just hadn't drank any water for a day and a half during their hottest summer in Tulsa, Darrel tried to convince an employee he was over at least over 10 and able to buy skates without a handy-rail (those things you use for balance?? Idk the actual name) the employee was legally blind, said he had a high-pitched voice and deemed him a six year old, and Pony cried for a half ho it after he fell. ANYWAY.

"Two sets of skates please." Pony smiled.

"No problem! That's $1.01." The employee said with a clearly forced smile, Johnny could tell, Pony thought he was being nice. [Fair warning, prices are guessed, prices were different in the 60's and I've never seen a dollar 'bill' in real life before.]

The pair for their skates and went over to the lockers, Pony rambling about how Darrel was like a skater on television.

"I swear- he's had to of had training or something before!"

"Maybe your parents wanted him to go to the .... Ol-imp-kicks..?" Johnny said, struggling with the pronunciation, me too Johnny, me too.

Pony turned his head to Johnny slowly, a confused look on his face as slightly questioned his friends, one true love, crush, whatever you'd like to say, choice in words.

"Olympics?" Pony asked, Johnny turned his head and nodded, a slight look of shame on his face as he did. Pony only simply laughed.

"Okay, asides from.. that, are you ready to skate?" Pony said, you could still hear the faint laugh in his voice. Johnny couldn't help but laugh by now, he didn't now why if he was honest, it just all seemed funny. The whole situation. The whole 'I kissed my crush' thing and now I'm going skating with him? It all seemed some what funny to him.

"Yup- think so." He replied.

"Alright, let's go!"

—-

"No Johnny- don't just use the wall the whole time!"

"It's either this or I die Pony!" Johnny quickly said back, as he held on to the barrier like he life depended on it, well, his life did partly depend on the barrier at this moment.

Mrs. Curtis stood by the food-court like area, watching it all play through with a smile on her face.

"Okay Jonnycakes! Just look at me and push forward- no don't laugh- if you laugh I'll laugh!" Pony said, trying to contain his laugher as a party of six year olds were looking at the two of them with shame and fear on their faces.

"I'm sorry- but this I can't help myself!" Johnny said while laughing, as he, surprisingly, pushed off the wall and did a form of skating (?) towards Pony, who took his hand so he wouldn't fall.. again.

"See! It is easy."

"Ponyboy Curtis. If you dare say this is easy one more time I am leaving you and joining a child's birthday party."

"Come on Johnny! At least get me a slice of cake."

Fourthly-three minutes went by, Johnny slowly gaining more confidence with roller-skates, and Pony catching him when he fell. He's fallen twenty-six times, yet only hit the ground six times.

By the end of it, Johnny could skate, and the pair were in stitches as they skated around, holding onto each other as if they were going to lose the other.

[In stitches: in laughter, laughing.]

——

NOTES,

OMGEE a new chapter done! This is purely just 'fluff' and a bit of joy, there's been a fair bit of sadness so far, and I'm trying to find more ways to make this sad so I can make it happy after?? I honestly don't know anymore, what I will say is that I considered killing off Mr. Curtis for a while, but now I can say with full honestly that no character is going to die! After reading this paragraph I've learned that it makes no sense whatsoever, but for my sake pretend it does!

Next chapters will have have some more of a plot that will correlate to the actual story!

Thank you so much for reading, new chapter will be up soon!!

Hope you all have a good day, night or different time!

[please ignore all spelling and grammar mistakes!]